Monday, June 12

Andrew Perren's build of the Eduard Model Accessories "Limited Edition" 48th scale Harrier Gr7/9 has finished. For those following the last three parts we know a kit is all about the finish - so let's see how he finishes his Harrier in the final part of his story...

With the painting & decaling phase complete the masks came off the canopy and the final additions of the many sub-assemblies could come together to create the final product. The most difficult part was the landing gear, I added the nose gear and the outriggers first and then fitted the main gear hoping a small adjustment there would have all 5 wheels on deck. Whether it was of my own creation or not, the main gear was clear of the ground by about 2.5mm – bugger! I eventually solved the problem by sanding some flat spots on the outrigger wheels and levelling the main gear back out of its mounting hole.

When all the wheels were on the ground some superglue in and around the main gear mount provided enough strength. To my eye, the nose wheel sits a bit too high but that’s how it builds.

The wing pylons, pods and jet nozzles along with the speed brake posed no real hassles. A little extra grime was added to the undersides with Tamiya weathering pastels.

So here is ZD-404 "Lucy" in close up at the time it was captured here

Here’s some more pics of the finished Harrier from Eduard

My final thoughts are that there is no doubt that this a great package. The base plastic is very buildable, the additions from Eduard are well thought out and executed. The lack of weapons in the kit is still a miss as far as I’m concerned. The instructions are adequate but not exceptional and those not familiar with the subject might struggle still with options that are not fully explained. The decals perform well and the masks work as advertised. Overall, I enjoyed the project and I’m happy to have this Harrier in the cabinet.Thanks for following along.Andrew Perren.